DES MOINES, IOWA – The Grand View University men's volleyball team continued their home stretch with a dominant 3-1 victory over the Wildcats of Culver-Stockton College, kicking off the weekend on a high note. The Vikings eyed a sweep after taking the first two sets, but Culver-Stockton forced a fourth before Grand View sealed the deal. Set scores were 25-21, 25-18, 24-26, and 25-17.
The Vikings came out strong in the opening set, jumping to an early 3-0 lead thanks to a series of Culver-Stockton errors. Both teams traded points once the score reached double digits, but Grand View pulled away late, forcing the Wildcats to burn a timeout. A final side-out from Culver-Stockton secured the set for the Vikings, 25-21.
Grand View mirrored their fast start in the second set, capitalizing on three more Wildcat errors to gain an early edge. The Vikings were firing on all cylinders offensively, hitting an impressive .600 on 25 attempts. A trio of kills from Isaiah Kalima,
Thomas Weseloh, and
Daniel Galili pushed Grand View to a commanding 22-14 lead. Culver-Stockton's errors continued to pile up, gifting the Vikings a 25-18 win and a 2-0 match lead.
The Vikings struggled offensively in the third set, posting a match-low .212 hitting percentage on 33 attempts. Despite the rough stretch, Grand View kept fighting. A clutch kill from Andre Leandro tied the set at 23-23, but back-to-back Culver-Stockton kills handed the Wildcats a 26-24 win, forcing a fourth frame.
Determined to close it out, Grand View responded with a strong performance in the fourth set. An ace from the NAIA's leading server,
Daniel Galili, gave the Vikings a 21-15 lead, prompting a Culver-Stockton timeout. The Wildcats showed some life with a kill after the break, but Grand View quickly put the match away with a pair of points and a Wildcat error, securing the 3-1 victory.
Grand View had several standout performers in their recent match, showcasing impressive individual efforts across various statistical categories.
Thomas Weseloh led the team with 14 kills on 26 attempts, hitting an efficient .385 while also contributing defensively with three digs and a block assist.
Daniel Galili was another offensive force, tallying 13 kills with a .281 hitting percentage while adding three assists, five digs, and three service aces to his all-around performance.
Isaiah Kalima-Izumi provided solid offensive production as well, recording 10 kills with a .250 hitting percentage and delivering six crucial digs. On the defensive end,
Guilherme Domdei Goedert stood out with 45 assists, effectively orchestrating the Grand View offense while also chipping in six digs.
UP NEXT
Grand View hosts Missouri Valley College this afternoon for a 1:00 p.m. match.
